>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Author Molly Larson Cook was born in La Grande, moved away, but always felt La Grande was her hometown. (Submitted photo).

"Goodbye is the most frequently used word in the English language today."

So says one of the four women in La Grande native Molly Larson Cook's new book, "On Our Way to Somewhere."

In these engaging monologues four contemporary women confront their changing roles as mothers, daughters, wives and independent women.

Subtitled "A Comedy Drama in Four Vignettes," the book begins with "Postcards," in which a young wife from Atlanta settles into a New England town that doesn't quite match her expectations.

The remaining segments are "So Far Away," " Dearly Beloved" and "Sentimental Journey," in which an executive wife trades her designer dresses for a pair of blue jeans and a life on a ranch in Idaho.

Suzy Powell, actress, playwright and director of the Wild Swan Theater, calls the book "an impressive and well written collage."

Published by Cook's own Blue Finch Press, "On Our Way to Somewhere" is available for $14 in bookstores.

Cook describes her path to publishing here and the pitfalls and aha! moments along the way.

Observer: Tell us about your La Grande and Wallowa County connections.

Molly Cook: I was born in La Grande. My grandparents, Ruth and John Larson, were lifelong residents – grandfather a chief engineer for Union Pacific. Moved away when I was still pretty young, but visited often to see my grandparents, and always felt that La Grande was my hometown. My grandmother lived to be 103 and died in 1999. My dad, David Larson, retired to La Grande and is still there.

In the '70s I was co-director of the Chief Joseph Summer Seminars held at the Buhler Ranch in Joseph. This innovative summer day-camp program attracted faculty from all over the country and brought new experiences to the kids of Wallowa County. Alvin and Betty Josephy were among the founders. For one year my former husband, Charles Ackley, and I had a summer theater in Joseph. Chuck continued to do theater in the La Grande area for a number of years.

What are the main benefits of being a Fishtrap fellow?

Receiving the Fishtrap fellowship gave me the recognition and grounding I needed to call myself a writer and to fully dedicate myself to the craft. The year I won the fellowship, I was in the middle of a master's degree in creative writing at OSU and the timing was great.

How does your summer theater experiences play into your writing style?

I've studied acting and been involved in theater for many years.

When I was in New York, I began writing monologues for myself and was encouraged to go further with this by my two acting coaches, Sam Schacht and actor Michael Moriarty.

Everything I write has a filmic quality – I'm always checking the stage directions of a scene and can see the action as I write. The dramatization of a novel is – for me – much the same as writing for the stage.

Where is the book available?

Sunflower Books has copies of the book and can order more. Or they can be ordered directly from Blue Finch Press at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 503-297-1928.

Tell me a little about yourself, maybe even your age.

My age — are you kidding? I never tell. Let's just say I'm over 50 and still wearing spike heels!

I currently teach at Portland State University, but not in the English department. I teach writing and presentation courses for graduate engineers – a job I love. I currently live in this Portland. I've left and returned to this Portland three times over the last 20 years. The other Portland, in Maine, is my other home. I'll be going to Maine in April to serve as guest juror for the Maine Art Commission's biannual literary and performance awards.

Who are your favorite writers and why?

Raymond Carver is at the top of the list, closely followed by Tim O'Brien, Michael Ondaatje, Richard Ford, Grace Paley, Ellen Gilchrist, Ehud Havazelet. I have the complete works of E.B. White. Each of these writers has a truly distinctive voice, none of them are ever boring, and each of them is willing to take big risks.

What or who are other influences?

Music, especially jazz, and the visual arts. I've learned a great deal about writing from art classes and sitting in little clubs listening to music.

Conversations with musicians and artists are often much more interesting and informative than those with writers. Don't shoot me! Any truly creative person wants to know more about the process and we can learn a lot from those working in other creative areas. We can learn from gardeners, too.

If you could give other writers one tip, what would it be?

Don't get caught up in the arrogance of writing with a capital W. Writing, like all the arts, is essentially a matter of craft – hard work. There's nothing special about being a writer. It's a job. It's what you do. In Maine, the attitude is very much like this. Writers, artists, welders, auto mechanics – everybody has a role and they're all accepted and nobody gets bragging rights. I like that.

Who or what was your earliest inspiration to be a writer?

My mother. She didn't graduate from high school (in La Grande), but she loved books and reading and encouraged all aspects of it.

We moved a lot when I was growing up, and she always made sure we got our library cards first thing. One of the joys of having my book out was a call from Multnomah County Library in Portland requesting two copies of it. I don't even know how they knew it was out, but my first card came from the North Portland branch and it's wonderful to know my little book is now available to other readers there.

Who are your role models, then and now?

My high school journalism teacher, Florence McGovern (Walla Walla). Miss McGovern was the first professional woman I was close to. She pushed us to be good writers for the high school paper. She had high standards for quality writing and made sure we didn't shave any points. And she wore a hat.

My artistic role models now come from art and music: John Stowell, a jazz guitarist who plays in the La Grande area from time to time, taught me about non-stop dedication to one's work. John Ventimiglia, head of the sculpture department at Maine College of Art, a personal friend and highly inventive artist, taught me to be open to all kinds of new ideas. He's always working on something with a fresh perspective.

Single word that defines you?

This is a tough one. [After much thought] Spirited.